Humidity is the degree of wetness or moisture in the atmosphere [source: Merriam-Webster]. In the winter when the windows are closed and the heat is turned on the air in the house becomes very dry. Dry air causes your nose and throat to feel dry and scratchy and can cause respiratory illnesses such as colds or flu. Besides medical problems that dry air can cause, it can also be the cause of non-health related problems. Dry air can cause static electricity which can harm sensitive equipment and can give painful shocks. It can also cause hardwood floors, wood furniture and wood cabinets to lose moisture and start to crack. [source: Gromicko, London, Separd] The simple solution is to install a humidifier or vaporizer which will humidify your home. We will now discuss the various options.
- Warm air humidifiers A warm air humidifier uses a system that releases a warm clean mist of air into your room. These humidifiers come in many sizes to accommodate different room sizes.
- Steam vaporizer A steam vaporizer utilizes electrodes to turn water into steam. The vapor exits the unit and fills the room with humidity. Once again, there are different sizes for different size rooms.
- Cool mist humidifiers There are two kinds of cool mist humidifiers. The Impeller humidifiers use a rapidly rotating disc to propel the water through a screen to create the mist. Evaporative humidifiers utilize a fan that moves through a filter full of water. The air gains moisture as the water held in the filter evaporates, adding humidity to the room in the form of a cool mist. Cool humidity is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics [source: Lowes].
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